77 



June 25, 1833. 

 Richard Owen, Esq. in the Chair. 



Extracts were reaJ frora a letter addre^sed to the Secretary by 

 W. Willshire, Esq., Corr. Memb. Z. S., dated Mogadore, May 5, 

 1833. It referred to various animals of Marocco which Mr, Will- 

 shire is in expectation of procuring for the Society. It also stated 

 the opinion of the writer that " the M'horr Antelope [recently de- 

 scribed by Mr. Bennett as a distinct species,] will be found to be of 

 the šame race as the Nanguer of Senegal ;" Mr. Willshire " having 

 traced the existence of the M'horr to Whadden (or Hoden on the 

 maps), and even further to the southward, thus approaching near to 

 Senegal." Mr. Willshire adds that he considers that " the Antilope 

 Leucoryx is almost beyond a doubt the 5eMer-a/-tuaiA of the Arabs 

 of this neighbourhood." 



Mr. Willshire forwarded at the šame time the follovving account 

 of the method practised in dressing skins in Marocco, the results of 

 which are excellent as regards the preservation and colour of the 

 fur and the flexibilitjr of the pelt. 



" Wash the skin in fresh vvater to deprive it of the salt ; as soon 

 as this is done scrape the flesh oftj when take 



" 2 Ibs. alum, 



'• 1 quart buttermilk, 



" 2 or 3 handfuls barley meal, 

 " which mix well together, and lay on the fleshy side of the skin 

 eąually ; fold up and press it together carefully, and let it lie two days. 

 On the third day take it to the sea side, wash the skin we]l, and 

 when clean and free from the mixture, hang it up to let the vvater 

 run from it: then take 2 Ibs. rock alum finely powdered, and throw 

 or spread it equally on all parts of the skin ; again fold up as before, 

 and allow it to lie three days, when it vvill be in a proper statė to 

 dry in the sun, laid flat without taking avvay the powder. When it is 

 dry, take a pint or two of fresh vvater and sprinkle it upon the skin, 

 and again fold it up carefully for about two hours to imbibe the 

 vvater ; then lay it on a table, and after scraping it free from the 

 mixture and flesh, take a sand stone (rather rough) and rub the 

 skin well until it becomes soft and pliable, then hang it in the shade 

 to dry, The process is then complete. 



*' When the skin is perfect, having the head, horns, &c., take ofF 

 the horns and fili their cavity vvith a mixture of equal parts of povv- 

 dered alum and ashes of charcoal, dissolved in vvater, and expose 

 them tvvo days to the sun. Saturate the trunks of the horns vvith 

 8 ounces of alum dissolved in vvater, and fold up vvith the skin, and 

 applv the šame on each occasion vvhen employed in curing the skin. 

 The flesh on the head and jaws to be carefully taken off, filling the 



